Method for loading and disintegrating single round bales

ABSTRACT

A mover-disintegrator for large cylindrical bales of crop material is provided with a bale-supporting bed swingable toward and away from a bank of shredding rolls for forced, one-at-a-time feeding of bales into the rolls. A loading fork mounted on the rear of the machine is vertically swingable from a ground-engaging position to a vertical position adjacent the bed and is adapted to engage circumferentially supported, ground-lying bales for individually raising the bales from the group to an end-supported position upon the bed. From its on-end position, a loaded bale is fed into the disintegrating rolls in a highly desirable end-first manner by swinging movement of the bed.

This invention relates to machines and methods for shredding large balesof animal foodstuffs and particularly concerns an agricultural implementcapable of loading, transporting and disintegrating large cylindrical or"round" bales. A machine embodying the principles of the presentinvention is operable to singularly engage ground-lying,circumferentially supported, cylindrical bales; loading the latter onthe mobile bed for transport; and selectively feeding the bales into adisintegrator whereupon they are separated into constituent pieces ofcrop material which are subsequently delivered to the ground or a feedbunk in a convenient windrow configuration for desired feeding oflivestock.

A machine similar to that of the present invention and capable ofdisintegrating large masses of compacted crop material is disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 3,979,074, entitled "Method And Apparatus For ProcessingCrop Stacks", issued Sept. 7, 1976. While like the present invention insome respects, the machine disclosed in the previously mentionedapplication is not as suited for handling large cylindrical bales as thepresent invention described hereinbelow.

It is one important object of the present invention to provide anagricultural implement capable of loading, transporting, disintegrating,and distributing crop material which has been formed into largecylindrical bales for efficient handling and weather shedding, allwithout the need for auxiliary loaders, movers or processors, andrequiring only one operator for satisfactory performance.

It is another important object of our invention to provide an implementas above, with loading structure for engaging circumferentiallysupported, ground-lying cylindrical bales, and lifting the latter to anupstanding, end-supported position on a bale-supporting bed.

It is yet another important object of the present invention toincorporate a swingable bale-supporting bed on the machine as above,whereby the end-supported bales may be swung end-first into an adjacentcrop disintegrator.

It is a further important object of the present invention to provide animplement as previously described with a disintegrator having anupstanding bank of horizontally extending shredder rolls, adjacent andparallel to the axis of swinging movement of the bale-supporting bedwhereby bales on the bed are fed into the disintegrator in a particulardisposition conducive to rapid and efficient disintegration of thebales.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a machine constructed in accordance withthe principles of the present invention and illustrating a cylindricalbale end-supported upon the horizontal bed thereof;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine with portions thereofbroken away for purposes of illustration and showing the loadingstructure in its lowermost ground-adjacent position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the machine showingthe loading structure in its uppermost position against thebale-supporting bed;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the machine having portionsthereof broken away for the purposes of illustration;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentarh, cross-sectional view taken alongline 5--5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken alongline 6--6 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken alongline 7--7 of FIG. 1.

There is shown throughout the drawings a bale-loading and disintegratingmachine 10 having a main frame 12 supported by a pair of ground-engagingwheels 14 for movement across a field or the like. Although in theembodiment illustrated, frame 12 includes a forwardmost tongue 16adapting the machine 10 for towing behind a draft vehicle, it is to beunderstood that, alternatively, the present invention could beself-propelled, pushed ahead of a powered vehicle, or even operated in astationary emplacement.

In addition to the tongue 16, the frame 12 has a pair of parallel,laterally spaced fore-and-aft extending side rails 18 and 20; anelongate center rail 19 (shown only in FIG. 1) extending parallel toside rails 18, 20; and an elongate, front cross member 22 extendingbetween the side rails 18 and 20. The frame 12 undersupports asubstantially rectangular, normally horizontal, bale-supporting bed 24and carries a laterally mounted disintegrator 26 adjacent thebale-supporting bed 24. Additionally, there is pivotally supported atthe rear of frame 12, vertically swingable loading structure 28 forengaging ground-lying cylindrical bales and lifting the latter to anend-supported position upon bed 24.

The bed 24 comprises a rectangular plate 30 having an elongate,cylindrical tube 32 extending along and rigidly secured to one edgethereof. The plate 30 has a substantially flat, upper surface 34 forengaging large cylindrical bales such as indicated by the letter B(FIGS. 1 and 4) and is under-supported by a pair of fore-and-aft spaced,elongate beams 36 which extend transversely across the plate 30 fromtube 32 to a point outwardly beyond the edge of the plate 30 remote fromtube 32. A pair of upstanding, elongate bars 38 are supported at therespective outermost ends of beams 36 and project upwardly above surface34 for supporting a fore-and-aft extending elongate member 40. The bars38 and member 40 combine to form a bale-supporting means for retainingthe bale B against movement when the latter is fed into thedisintegrator 26 in a manner to be described hereinbelow.

The bed 24 is pivotally mounted on side rail 20 of frame 12 for verticalswinging movement about a fore-and-aft extending axis by a pair of hingeassemblies 44. Each assembly 44 includes a U-shaped collar 46 whichpasses through a respective rectangular cutout 48 in plate 30 and wrapsaround the tube 32. The assembly 44 further comprises a fore-and-aftextending channel segment 50 (shown only in FIG. 5) supported between apair of triangular gussets 52 (shown only in FIG. 5) on side rail 20 forthe purpose of providing a rigid mounting for the collar 46 to securethe latter to frame 12. Thus, as shown in FIG. 5, the tube 32 isrotatably confined between the collar 46 and channel 50 of each hingeassembly 44 whereby the bed is permitted to swing vertically about afore-and-aft extending axis. A hydraulic cylinder assembly 54 extendsbetween a centrally disposed rib 56 on bed 24 and a depending mount 58on side rail 18. In this fashion, extension of cylinder assembly 54causes the bed 24 to move upwardly from the horizontal position shown inFIG. 4 through a position illustrated by 24' to a substantially verticalposition adjacent side rail 20.

The disintegrator 26 has a large box-like housing 60 carriedsubstantially outboard of side rail 20 and supporting an upstanding bankof horizontally disposed, fore-and-aft extending shredder rolls 62. Thepreferred embodiment of the present invention has a pair of rolls 62which are arranged in an overlying spaced relationship and are ofconventional construction; that is, each roll has an elongate, centralhub 64 about which is coaxially carried a spirally wound flighting 66along which is supported a plurality of radially extending knives 68(shown only in FIG. 4). The rolls 62 are supported for rotation inhousing 60 between a pair of upright reinforcing channels 70 onrespective front and rear walls of the housing 60. A belt and pulleyassembly 72 is carried on the forward wall of housing 60 and operablycouples the hubs 64 of rolls 62 to a centrally disposed fore-and-aftextending drive assembly 74 which is adapted for coupling with the powertakeoff unit of a conventional farm vehicle. In this manner, the rolls62 of the disintegrator 26 may be poweredly driven simultaneously in thesame direction, it being understood that the desired direction ofrotation of the rolls 62 is conterclockwise when the machine 10 isviewed from the forward end as shown in FIG. 4. For the purpose ofoperator safety and machine life, a cover 76 substantially encloses thebelt and pulley assembly 72, and a cover 78 surrounds the drive shaftassembly 74.

The housing 60 substantially encloses the rolls 62, there being one openside 80 in the housing 60 facing toward the opposite side rail 18 topermit access of the bale B into the disintegrator 26. Additionally, thehousing 60 has a discharge chute 82 (shown in FIG. 4) outboard of theground-engaging wheel 14 associated with side rail 20 such that shreddedmaterial from bale B may be discharged on the ground or in a feeder bunkas the bale B is being disintegrated.

The loading structure 28 comprises a fork 84 having a pair of elongate,parallel, fore-and-aft extending tines 86 adapted for circumferentiallyengaging bale B when it is supported on the ground, and a base 88 forsupporting the tines 86 in a laterally spaced disposition. The base 88includes a cross tube 89 extending between the tines 86 and a pair ofupstanding brackets 90 supported on opposite ends of tube 89 adjacentrespective tines 86. Each bracket 90 has an inwardly projecting trunnion92 secured thereto and extending transversely of the machine 10.Additionally, the base end of each tine 86 has an L-shaped reinforcingmember 94 which includes a mounting leg 95 extending along tine 86adjacent base 88 and a perpendicular, inwardly projecting leg 96 (shownin FIG. 7).

A pivot assembly 98 mounts the structure 28 at the rear of frame 12 forvertical swinging movement about a horizontal, transversely extendingaxis. The assembly 98 includes a transversely extending torque tube 100supported for rotation on side rail 18 and center rail 19 by a pair ofrespective sleeves 102. The tube 100 has a pair of bell cranks 104supported on opposite ends thereof for rotation with the tube 100. Eachbell crank 104 is pivotally coupled to a respective trunnion 92 at oneend, and has a forwardly projecting portion 106 which extends forwardlyof the tube 100. The tube 100 is further provided with a depending crank110 to which is coupled a hydraulic cylinder assembly 112 which extendsbetween the crank 110 and a mounting rib 114 (shown in phantom inFIG. 1) on frame 12, whereby the structure 28 may be poweredly swungthrough an arcuate, vertical path of travel.

Each forward portion 106 has a short length of chain extending therefromto a respective leg 96 for a purpose to be described. Thus, viewing FIG.2 for example, when the cylinder assembly 112 starts to extend, the bellcranks 104 rotate counterclockwise in response to movement of torquetube 100. Note that during this initial extension of the cylinderassembly 112 the fork 84 is not caused to move since the cranks 104 arefree to pivot about respective trunnions 92 on the fork 84. However, asthe bell cranks 104 continue to rotate in the counterclockwisedirection, the forwardmost portions 106 come into contact with the upperedges of legs 96 on the fork 84. At this point, the fork 84 is caused toswing upwardly in response to further extension of cylinder assembly 112since the bell cranks 104 are not longer free to rotate relative to thefork 84. This particular arrangement normally is sufficient to controlboth the raising and lowering of the fork 84 since the weight of thelatter will usually cause the legs 96 to be biased against the forwardportions 106 of bell cranks 104. But note, that when the fork 84 isswung to an over-center position, as shown in FIG. 3, there must beprovided some means for coupling the bell cranks 104 to the legs 96 sothat clockwise movement of the bell cranks (caused by retraction of thecylinder assembly 112) will cause the fork 84 to swing downwardly. Thisfunction is performed by the lengths of chain 108 as shown in FIG. 3, itbeing further understood that the provision of these flexible lengths ofchain is the equivalent of a lost motion linkage which permits the fork84 to be ground-supported when the fork is swung to its lowermostposition, and the forwardmost portions 106 of bell cranks 104 are nolonger in contact with the legs 96 on fork 84 as shown, for example, inFIG. 2.

The support function of the frame 12 is enchanced by a centrallydisposed cross beam 116 on the frame 12 which underlies the rails 18, 19and 20 and carries axle structure 118 at opposite ends thereof forsupporting the ground-engaging wheels 14. Frame 12 is additionallysupplied with a pair of upstanding guides 120 on side rail 18 forengaging the crossbeams 36 of bed 24.

In operation, the machine 10 is normally hitched to a tractor or thelike by tongue 16 and the drive shaft assembly 74 is coupled to thepower takeoff on the tractor. The bed 24 of the machine 10 is positionedhorizontally over the frame 12 with crossbeams 36 supported in guides120 and the fork 84 is initially raised from the ground to a positionshown, for example, in FIG. 3.

The operator then tows the machine 10 to a position in the fieldadjacent a large circumferentially supported ground-lying cylindricalbale whereupon he actuates cylinder assembly 112 to swing the fork 84downwardly to a lowermost ground-supported position as shown in FIG. 2.The ground-lying bale is approached from one end with the bale axis infore-and-aft alignment relative to the machine 10 and the latter isbacked to a position wherein tines 86 are disposed on opposite sides ofthe ground contiguous portion of the bale. The operator next actuatescylinder 112 to raise fork 84 in a manner described hereinabove wherebythe bale is swung upwardly and forwardly to an end-supported position onthe surface 34 of bed 24. With the bale thus supported, the operatorthen operates cylinder assembly 54 to swing bed 24 upwardly about itsfore-and-aft extending pivotal axis.

As the bed 24 swings through an arcuate path of travel, the bale isintroduced to the disintegrator 26 through opening 80 in an end-firstmanner. As the rolls 62 are rotated due to their drive connection withthe power takeoff unit of the tractor, the knives 68 continuously pull,loosen and shred material from the bale, which material is projectedlaterally and downwardly, and finally discharged through the chute 82.

If it is desired to distribute the shredded material along a feed bunk,the operator merely advances the machine 10 while the bale is being fedinto the disintegrator 26. On the other hand, if it is desired to shredthe bale for storage in a silo or the like, the machine 10 is heldstationary during disintegration of the bale whereupon discharge fromchute 82 is maintained in one location.

It is important to note that the machine 10 is also well-suited fortransporting bales to a new location for subsequent disintegration. Inthis connection, the operator first loads a bale with the fork 84 in amanner previously described, and then moves the bale as it is supportedon the bed 24 to a new location whereupon the subsequent actuation ofcylinder 54 initiates the shredding of the bale.

Swinging the bale into the disintegrator 26 from an end-supportedposition offers significant advantages over bale-feed positions inconventional loader-disintegrator machines. First, this arrangementserves to swing the axis of the bale through the disintegrator 26 insuch a manner that the latter is at no time disposed parallel to therolls 62 and, consequently, the tendency of the rolls 62 to rotate thebale about its axis during disintegration is eliminated. Secondly, theend-first feeding of the bale into the disintegrator 26 allows forefficient operation of the cutting knives 68 since they are at all timescutting "across the grain" of the round bale.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:
 1. The method of loading anddisintegrating a large ground-lying, circumferentially supported,cylindrical bale, including the steps of:engaging the circumference ofsaid ground-lying bale from one end thereof; swinging said bale in afirst upright plane to an elevated, substantially horizontal supportsurface; end-supporting said bale on said surface in a stationaryposition with the axis of the bale vertically disposed; subsequentlyswinging said bale in a second upright plane from said position towardan upstanding zone of disintegration; progressively shredding said balein said zone while continuing to swing the bale in said second planewhereby the bale is disintegrated obliquely thereof; and retaining saidbale against movement away from said zone until completelydisintegrated.
 2. The method of claim 1; and advancing said bale andsaid zone, in a direction parallel to said first upright plane, duringsaid shredding step.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidengaging step includes contacting the lower portion of the circumferenceof the bale on opposite sides of the ground-continguous surface of thebale.